Cable Bracket

ABSTRACT

A cable bracket may be stamped from sheet material and folded to form a generally rectangular cable bracket suitable for attachment to, or within a wall or other construction space. The cable bracket may releasable secure multiple cables and or conduits. Two or more spring elements may be formed in the bracket to control and secure the cables within the bracket. A cable bracket may be secured to a metal, wood or concrete building element using any suitable fastener such as screws, nails, rivets and or bolts.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of copending U.S. Utility applicationSer. No. 12/446,671 filed May 15, 2009, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,240,619which claims priority from copending U.S. Provisional patent application61/053,643 Filed May 15, 2008.

FIELD OF THE INVENTIONS

The inventions described below relates to the field of electricalconstruction components and more specifically to cable brackets forsecuring electrical cables to structural components.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONS

Conventional wood frame construction techniques are often adapted tometal frame construction. The technique of nailing or otherwise fixingelectrical cables to a wooden structural member such as a stud does nottranslate well to metal frame construction.

SUMMARY

A cable bracket may be stamped from sheet material and folded to form agenerally rectangular cable bracket suitable for attachment to, orwithin a wall or other construction space. The cable bracket mayreleasable secure multiple cables and or conduits. Two or more springelements may be formed in the bracket to control and secure the cableswithin the bracket. A cable bracket may be secured to a metal, wood orconcrete building element using any suitable fastener such as screws,nails, rivets and or bolts or removable.

Cable brackets may also be secured together in a variety ofconfigurations to enable support of multiple cable bundles.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is an isometric view of a cable bracket.

FIG. 2 is a side view of a cable bracket blank.

FIG. 3 is an end view of the cable bracket of FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a side view of the cable bracket of FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is an isometric view of a cable bracket.

FIG. 6 is a side view of a cable bracket of FIG. 5.

FIG. 7 is an end view of the cable bracket of FIG. 5.

FIG. 8 is a top view of the cable bracket of FIG. 5.

FIG. 9 is an isometric view of multiple cable brackets of FIG. 5 securedto a wall.

FIG. 10 is an isometric view of multiple cable brackets of FIG. 5secured to clamps attached to a structural element.

FIG. 11 is an isometric view of back-to-back combination cable bracketssecured to clamps attached to a structural element.

FIG. 12 is an isometric view of a stacked back-to-back combination ofcable brackets secured to clamps attached to a structural element.

FIG. 13 is an isometric view of a stacked combination of cable bracketssecured to clamps attached to a structural element.

FIG. 14 is an isometric view of single and combination cable bracketssecured to clamps attached to a structural element.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTIONS

Cable bracket 10 of FIGS. 1-4 is formed from a generally planar bracketblank such as bracket blank 20 of FIG. 2. Cable bracket 10 includes agenerally c-shaped bracket frame 12 which is formed of an attachment leg12A, a support leg 12S, a free leg 12F and an open side 12X. Attachmentleg 12A is secured to attachment flange 16 along fold line 11A with toparm 14 included to extend from attachment leg 12A to free leg 12F toenclose and secure cable space 24. Latch 19 and latch tab 18 may beremovably engaged to secure top arm 14 to free leg 12F and thus secureany cables within cable space 24.

Attachment flange 16 is formed by parallel folding attachment segments16A and 16B along line 11A and then folding attachment flange 16 alongline 11B to be perpendicular to bracket frame 12 as shown in FIG. 1. Toparm 14 is folded to be perpendicular to bracket frame 12 along line 11C.Latch tab 18, first spring arm 15 and second spring arm 17 are foldedalong lines 11D, 11E and 11F respectively to be perpendicular to bracketframe 12.

Spring arms 15 and 17 may be included to control the location of cableswithin cable space 24 and to minimize abrasion of cables on the exposededges of the bracket frame. Spring arms may have any suitable locationand orientation including on free arm 12F.

Holes in attachment flange 16 such as holes 23 and hole 25 are used toengage cable bracket 10 to any suitable member such as wood stud 27.Width 28 of cable space 24 may be adjusted to change the rotationalmoment generated by weight W and moment arm 29. A minimal moment bracketis illustrated in FIGS. 5-8

Cable bracket 30 of FIGS. 5-8 is formed from a generally planar bracketblank as discussed above. Cable bracket 30 includes bracket frame 32attached to attachment flange 36 and top arm 34 to enclose and securecable space 44. Latch 39 and latch tab 38 may be removably engaged tosecure any cables within cable space 44.

Attachment flange 36 is formed as discussed above and includes extensiontab 45 which extends beyond plane 46 which includes top arm 34.Extension tab 45 is used to secure cable bracket 30 to any suitablestructural component or an attachment apparatus such as a clamp which issecured to a structural component such as a wall, ceiling, roof, pipe,frame or beam element. Length 47 of extension tab 45 may be selected tooptimize the resistance to the rotational moment resulting from theexpected weight W supported in cable space 44 and the moment arm 48.

Referring now to FIG. 9 cable brackets 50 are attached to wall 51 tosupport cable bundle 52. In an alternate configuration shown in FIG. 10,each cable bracket 50 is attached to clamp 53 which are in turn securedto beam 54 to support cable bundle 56.

Referring to FIG. 11, multiple cable brackets may be combined to formcomposite or combination devices such as combining cable brackets 60Aand 60B which are secured to form a back-to-back combination cablebracket 60C which may be secured to clamp 61 which is attached to astructural element 62.

Referring to FIG. 12, cable brackets 70A and 70B are secured to form astacked combination cable bracket 70C which may be secured to clamp 71which is attached to a structural element 72.

Referring to FIG. 13, cable brackets 80A, 80B, 80X and 80Y are securedto form a stacked back-to-back combination cable bracket 80C which maybe secured to clamp 81 which is attached to a structural element 82.

Referring now to FIG. 14, various cable routing configurations may beaccommodated by using various combinations of cable brackets such ascable bracket 50 and combination cable brackets such as cable brackets60C, 70C and 80C as illustrated.

While the preferred embodiments of the devices and methods have beendescribed in reference to the environment in which they were developed,they are merely illustrative of the principles of the inventions. Otherembodiments and configurations may be devised without departing from thespirit of the inventions and the scope of the appended claims.

1. A device for supporting cables comprising: a generally c-shapedbracket frame having an attachment leg, a support leg extending from theattachment leg, a free leg extending from the support leg and an openside; an attachment flange secured to the attachment leg of the bracketframe to secure the bracket frame in an orientation having the open sideup above the support leg; a first spring arm extending from theattachment leg and inclined to urge any supported cable toward the freeleg; a second spring arm extending from the support leg and inclined tourge any supported cable toward the open side; a top arm secured to thesupport leg and extending from the support leg across the open side andoperable to removably engage the free leg and enclose a cable space. 2.The device of claim 1 further comprising: an extension tab extendingfrom the attachment flange beyond a perpendicular plane that includesthe top arm.
 3. The device of claim 2 further comprising: a clampsecured to the extension tab for supporting the bracket frame.
 4. Adevice for supporting cables comprising: a generally planar piece ofmetal stock cut to form at least two generally planar c-shaped bracketframes, each bracket frame having: an attachment leg, a support legextending from the attachment leg, a free leg extending from the supportleg, and an open side, the free leg having an unconnected distal end; anattachment flange folded along a parallel fold line from the attachmentleg, the attachment flange folded to be perpendicular to and supportingthe at least two generally planar c-shaped bracket frames; a firstspring arm folded into a plane perpendicular to the attachment leg andextending from the attachment leg and inclined to urge any supportedcable toward the free leg; a second spring arm folded into a planeperpendicular to the support leg and extending from the support leg andinclined to urge any supported cable toward the open side; a latch tabfolded into a plane perpendicular to the free leg and extending from thedistal end of the free leg; and a top arm secured to the attachment legand extending from the attachment leg across the open side and operableto removably engage the latch tab on the free leg and enclose a cablespace.
 5. The device of claim 4 further comprising: an extension tabfolded to be perpendicular to and extending from the attachment flangebeyond a perpendicular plane that includes the top arms.